The Buddy Golf Guide
How to Run a Masters Golf Pool (Without Losing Friends)
The Masters is the easiest tournament of the year to get a pool going for — a stacked field, a familiar course, and a Sunday that always delivers. Here's how to run a Masters golf pool that's simple to score, fun to follow all week, and ends with one obvious winner (and one obvious last-place finisher).
1. Pick a format your group will actually understand
The single biggest reason Masters pools fall apart is a format only the commissioner understands. Pick one of these three and don't overthink it:
- Pick 'Em (recommended for first-timers). Each player picks a small roster of golfers — usually 4 to 6. At the end of the tournament, you add up their final scores to par. Lowest total wins. That's it.
- Tiered Draft. Split the field into 3–4 tiers by odds (favorites, contenders, dark horses, longshots). Everyone picks one golfer from each tier. Balances the field and keeps the longshot tier interesting on Sunday.
- Salary Cap. Each golfer has a price; you build a lineup under a cap. More work, more fun, more arguments. Save this for year two.
2. Set the scoring rule before picks lock
Scoring is where pools die. Lock it in writing before anyone picks:
- Sum of strokes to par across your roster. Low total wins. Simple and bulletproof.
- Drop the worst score. If a roster has 5 golfers, count the best 4. Forgives one bad pick and keeps the leaderboard tighter.
- Missed-cut penalty. A golfer who misses the cut counts as +10 over their 36-hole score (or whatever the group agrees). Without this, missed cuts ruin the math on Sunday.
Pick one. Post it in the group chat. Don't change it mid-tournament.
3. Decide entry, payout, and last place
Keep money simple. A flat entry per player (commonly $10–$50) with payouts going to the top 1, 2, or 3 finishers depending on group size:
- Under 10 players: winner takes all.
- 10–20 players: 70% to first, 30% to second.
- 20+ players: 60 / 25 / 15.
And the most important rule: last place owes something. A round of drinks, a forfeit photo, a permanent nickname in the group chat. The threat of finishing last is what keeps casuals paying attention on Sunday afternoon. We call it getting Bogeyed.
4. Lock picks before the first tee time
Picks should be due before the first golfer tees off Thursday morning — no exceptions, no late entries. If someone can't make picks in time, they're out for this one. Soft deadlines are how pools turn into arguments.
Write picks down somewhere everyone can see them: a shared doc, a pinned message, or a pool app that locks automatically. Public picks are part of the fun — half the entertainment is roasting the guy who took the wrong longshot.
5. Run the leaderboard live (or at least nightly)
Whoever runs the pool should post an updated leaderboard at least once a day — ideally after each round. Even a screenshot of a spreadsheet is enough. The point is momentum: people care more when they can see where they stand.
If you're running pools every tournament, doing this by hand gets old fast. That's why we built Bogey Club — picks, scoring, cut penalties, and a live leaderboard, all handled for you, and we never touch the money.
6. Crown the winner. Bogey the loser.
When the final putt drops on Sunday, post the final leaderboard, tag the winner, and — most importantly — tag the loser. The Masters pool isn't really about the green jacket. It's about your group chat having something to argue about until the PGA Championship.